Hello and my stricture story

[lewis]

Hi there,

So glad I found this site. I have been scouring the internet for two years reading about procedures for recurrent urethral strictures and have found there is limited information from patients, particularly post-op. Anyway, here is my story

3 dilations when aged 11/12. Symptoms came back slowly and it wasn’t until two years ago when I was 26 that i underwent my first urethrotomy. Urethrogram showed a structure of around 0.5cm after my urethrotomy. The surgeon said it was a dense structure and I would be a great candidate for urethroplasty so was referred to addenbrookes (Cambridge) where I am now under the watchful eye of dr Nikesh Theruchelvin.

I had a flow test last week and not much has changed in a year. Flow is still around 10ml which is not good but I had been symptom free up until about January of this year. Starting to notice pain when urinating sometimes and have now had two bouts of prostatitis. I told dr theruchelvin that now is the time to get me in for surgery. He explained they are currently taking part in an open research trial to find out what treatment is best for men with recurrent urethral strictures. They need 500 men. The only problem is surgery is randomised between urethrotomy and urethroplasty. If I get the urethroplasty, great and I get a follow up for two years. If I get the urethrotomy, I can either pull out of the open research study and have a urethroplasty as a normal patient or have a second urethrotomy and take part in the study. I understand urethroplasty will more than likely be the better option for cure than urethrotomy but i am very nervous about the surgery. I had some traumatic incidences in hospitals when I was a child involving catheters and believe this has added to the fear factor of hospitals and my private parts! However I have come to realise that a urethroplasty made be my only curative option.

1. What I would like to know is has anyone here had the pleasure of dr theruchelvin performing urethroplasty on them and was it a success?
2. Would you take part in the research trial? It has much more vigorous after care procedures but the surgery is randomised.
3. Pre op urethroplasty, upon your Urethrogram, has anyone has any incidences of a fistula or anything else where things haven’t quite healed? What would they do? Just shove the catheter back in?!

I look forward to hearing your replies.

Lewis

[Author]

Posts